MD11 crew misunderstood controller and entered active runway without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	433926
Time
Date	199904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : wsss.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	433926
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	433927
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : runway non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Loss of communications with tower while holding in position 'line up and wait' runway 20R/wsss due to inadvertent frequency change caused by omc attempting to select communication on wrong panel. Pilots not aware of changed frequency resulted in several mins delay on runway. Once communication re-established, tower instructed flight to exit runway. Some confusion then developed due to communications difficulties as to further instructions. Captain asked first officer to request confirmation of understood clearance to follow departing B737 'to line up and wait.' tower then responded with a question 'confirm your radios ok.' we heard, 'confirmed -- are your radios ok?' we then continued into position on runway 20R and were cleared for immediate departure and informed that we had not been cleared to 'line up and wait.' this entire situation and compounded errors are a result of an omc not doing as instructed and who should have known better. Non standard phraseology (not expected) due to situation and difficult communications.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD11 CREW MISUNDERSTOOD CTLR AND ENTERED ACTIVE RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: LOSS OF COMS WITH TWR WHILE HOLDING IN POS 'LINE UP AND WAIT' RWY 20R/WSSS DUE TO INADVERTENT FREQ CHANGE CAUSED BY OMC ATTEMPTING TO SELECT COM ON WRONG PANEL. PLTS NOT AWARE OF CHANGED FREQ RESULTED IN SEVERAL MINS DELAY ON RWY. ONCE COM RE-ESTABLISHED, TWR INSTRUCTED FLT TO EXIT RWY. SOME CONFUSION THEN DEVELOPED DUE TO COMS DIFFICULTIES AS TO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. CAPT ASKED FO TO REQUEST CONFIRMATION OF UNDERSTOOD CLRNC TO FOLLOW DEPARTING B737 'TO LINE UP AND WAIT.' TWR THEN RESPONDED WITH A QUESTION 'CONFIRM YOUR RADIOS OK.' WE HEARD, 'CONFIRMED -- ARE YOUR RADIOS OK?' WE THEN CONTINUED INTO POS ON RWY 20R AND WERE CLRED FOR IMMEDIATE DEP AND INFORMED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO 'LINE UP AND WAIT.' THIS ENTIRE SIT AND COMPOUNDED ERRORS ARE A RESULT OF AN OMC NOT DOING AS INSTRUCTED AND WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY (NOT EXPECTED) DUE TO SIT AND DIFFICULT COMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.